Double jeopardy killer 'ready for open prison'
Cleveland PoliceA murderer who was only jailed for killing a woman after a change in the double jeopardy law should be moved to an open prison, the Parole Board has said.
William Dunlop strangled Julie Hogg, 22, and hid her beneath a bath at her home in Billingham, County Durham, in 1989 but juries twice failed to find him guilty.
Dunlop was eventually jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years in 2006 following a successful campaign to change the law by Ms Hogg's family.
The Parole Board is recommending he be moved, but the decision will be made by justice secretary Shaban Mahmood.
Dunlop, now 61, murdered Ms Hogg in November 1989 with her body found by her mother three months later.
He twice stood trial for murder in the 1990s but was acquitted both times.
While in prison for other offences, Dunlop boasted to a prison guard about getting away with the killing but he could not be prosecuted again for the same crime after being acquitted twice.
Family handoutMs Hogg's family got the law changed so he could be prosecuted again, with Dunlop jailed in 2006.
He had initially sought release from prison but amended his application to seek an open prison move, with several public hearings held by the Parole Board.
Various professionals advocated for his move to open conditions after he completed numerous courses and programmes, but Ms Hogg's family remained vehemently opposed.
Dunlop told the Parole Board panel he had been a "violent, hideous, uncaring person" who was motivated by substance abuse and anger at being rejected and who could have gone on to kill other people.
But Dunlop, who was previously jailed for perjury for lying in his original two murder trials, claimed he had changed in prison and deeply regretted the man he had been.
'A horrific crime'
The Parole Board said it was "satisfied" Dunlop had made "sufficient progress" to reduce the risk he posed to the public and he was "assessed as presenting a low risk of absconding".
It said he had "worked extensively over the years on the factors that led to his offending", adding: "He has shown he is able to address and replace many negative beliefs and attitudes with better ways of thinking."
The board also said he had a "very much improved understanding of himself and the world around him".
The Parole Board previously suggested moving Dunlop to open conditions in 2022 but that was rejected by then Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis.
The Ministry of Justice said the Parole Board's recommendation would now be considered against stringent criteria, including around any risk Dunlop was believed to pose.
A spokesman said: "Julie Hogg's murder was a horrific crime and our thoughts remain with her friends and family.
"Life-sentenced prisoners must pass a robust risk assessment before any move to open conditions and we do not hesitate to move them back to closed prisons if they break the rules."